Araucana thread anyone?

[megcpat]

Quote:
I lost a blue wheaten Ameraucana rooster (from pips and peeps) to a fox just as he was coming into his own. I think there is little in this world as glorious as the BW Ameraucana boys and wow, your roo is handsome . So sorry to hear about your missing hens; we went through a pretty rotten predator spell before we got our flock guardian dogs. It's maddening loosing birds like that.

So, you're not looking to sell your splash Araucana rooster are you?

 

[Illia]

Actually, I found my splash pullet this morning!

I guess she was just sleeping amongst the big girls and I never saw her. (she's the absolute tiniest bird in our flock)

 

[Illia]

Lots of pics, be warned.

Okay, pullets first. . .

Here's my splash girl. She's quite similar to cashdl's except that she is clean faced and VERY tiny.

Here's my only blue cuckoo girl, who was also pictured behind the splash. To the left is a splash cuckoo.

Not sure what to make of this color. She started out looking like a BBR, then she went rather drab and pale, and right now I'm calling her a "Lemon Blue," as she really just looks like a slightly brown-er version of my other girls. You can certainly see the duckwing behind her though. (My so called Lemon Blues are, I believe, just blue crossed with duckwing in such a way that it the blue/yellow ratio varies a lot, but the bird never looks like an actual blue duckwing)

Here's a traditional "Lemon Blue," this is one of my three bluest layers. In normal light, she's a traditional blue, but with a silvery blue "necklace" of patterning. I absolutely love her body conformation though.

This is my so-called Black Copper. She was black as a chick, then got little bits of "mossy" brown all over, then grew out that coppery brown necklace, and kept her mossy brown spattered through her feathers. She really is gorgeous!

Detail on her head and tufts. Notice that she's got patterned tufts!

And now, the boys.

This is my main "Lemon Blue," who used to have tufts but they've been pecked out. He is from the same parents as my bluest laying "Lemon Blue," and his color is just gorgeous! He's also a ladies' man, and the only "bachelor" not in the bachelor pad.

This is my Blue Cuckoo, causing trouble. . . He's still got a lot of barring, but I really need to find someone to clean him up with. He has enough yellow in him that he's got a lot of faded or missing barring. Otherwise, he's a nice looking guy - With one tuft.

Last but not least, this is that perfectly tufted Splash guy again.

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Many times if you just bathe a poopy butt and clean it up it will stay clean afterwards. I think once they get poop stuck it is hard for them to remove it themselves and so it continues to build up.

Lots of nice birds there Illia, you have a nice flock.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Thanks. I still want some true, proper Duckwings in here though. They are SO beautiful, but I only have a cleanfaced cockerel and a cleanfaced pullet with improper coloring. Still, she is gorgeous!

 

[MadHatcher]

I'm so glad I found this thread! Great information and I love seeing everyone's beautiful birds

This is my first experience with hatching anything... ever

I received ten araucana eggs from skybluegg (http://www.skyblueegg.com/)

After a few days of incubation it was clear that four of the eggs were clear

The other six were developing very well. Then on day 10 I thought that the air sack was on the "wrong" or pointy end and I posted on here all nervous and scared for the hatch.

On day 18 when I candled the last time it was evident that I had been mistaken earlier and all the air sacks were correctly positioned - Now I know that blue egg shells really do make it hard to be sure exactly what you're seeing.

All six hatched out fine - it was amazing to watch and I didn't sleep until everyone was drying out in the incubator! Silly I know but I was too excited.

One baby has HUGE face tufts already

One little baby has spraddle leg but I had her braced with vet wrap for a day. Now it is off and she is hopping around with the rest of them.

I'm so so happy and excited! I had to share! (... Again)

I have a question though... do tailed chicks have visible tails right away? Or are they more like fuzzy nubs or something?

Also - might you have any idea what color these chicks might be? I can take new pictures if nessecary

Thanks again!

 

[poularde]

Lovely birds Illia. I definitely want some eggs from those birds.

Cute chicks MadHatcher!

 

[cashdl]

I thought your duckwing was my favorite, but now its the black copper hen. I love her patterned tufts.


Lanae

 

[megcpat]

Quote:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my book, anyone who is able to hatch chicks out of shipped Araucana eggs is, well, like, AWESOME! They look happy and healthy and simply adorable.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Ditto to that. As for color, I'm not sure except on the black ones are black, but I'd LOVE to see pics as those guys feather out.